GPPAC Southeast Asia Statement on Rising Militarism and the Importance of Article 9 as a Peacebuilding Mechanism in the Asia-
Pacific Region
The Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) Southeast Asia network
convened in Melayu Patani/the Deep South of Thailand in October, 2015. Discussion focused o ongoing crises in the region such as political repression and armed struggles; the changing global and regional security situation; and the role of peoples and civil society in peacebuilding. As concerns were raised regarding the increasing militarization of the entire Asia-Pacific region, Article 9 was identified as an example of an important conflict prevention and peacebuilding mechanism as a tool for creating real peace and security both in the Asia-Pacific region and globally.
> Read full statement here.

2015 Nobel Peace Prize Nomination Raises Global Awareness of Article 9 as Peace Mechanism Peace Boat and the Global Article 9 Campaign congratulate the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet for being awarded the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize "for its decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia in the wake of the Jasmine Revolution of 2011."
Although not selected as the Laureate, the nomination of the Japanese people who conserve Article 9 of the Constitution for the Nobel Peace Prize has attracted international attention to the existence of the war-renouncing clause.
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Read full statement here

Statement by Peace Boat and the Global Article 9 Campaign on the Occasion of the International Day of Peace
On September 21, 2015, as the world celebrates the International Day of Peace, Peace Boat and the Global Article 9 Campaign condemn in strongest terms the adoption by the Japanese Diet of security legislation that fundamentally violates the principles and letter of war-renouncing Article 9 to allow Japan's Self-Defense Forces to use force overseas. The statement expresses utmost concerns at the possible repercussions the legislation will have on the region, supports Japan’s civil society efforts to prevent the legislation from being implemented and Article 9 to be further eroded, and calls on people around the world to support Japan’s vibrant mobilization towards the revocation of the bills, the preservation of Japan’s democracy and pacific values, and the safeguard of Article 9 as a s a regional and global peace mechanism.
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Read full statement here

Buddhism, Shinto and 'Proactive Pacifism'
BBC World Service is running a radio program that explores the current push by Japan's conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to reinterpret Article 9, the famous peace clause of the post-war Japanese constitution.

Will Japan's Diet Bury Article 9?
Japan’s Diet is deliberating a set of security bills that would, if adopted, result in a drastic shift away from the country's exclusively defense-oriented security policy and significantly depart from what has been authorized to date under war-renouncing Article 9 of the Japanese constitution. The legislation seeks to codify Prime Minister Abe Shinzo’s contentious July 2014 Cabinet decision that reinterpreted the Constitution to allow Japan to exercise the right to collective self-defense and expand Japan’s security role around the world, under the doctrine of “pro-active pacifism”. A large majority of the public oppose the legislation, which is deemed unconstitutional by many of Japan's most respected constitutional lawyers.

GPPAC-Northeast Asia Statement on the Occasion of Global Day of Action on Military SpendingThis year marks the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II and of the division of the Korean Peninsula. Yet full peace and reconciliation is far from being achieved in Northeast Asia. On the occasion of the 5th Global Day of Action on Military Spending (April 13, 2015), the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) - Northeast Asia issued a statement expressing concerns about the increase in military spending and ongoing military buildup in the region and making recommendation for the peaceful resolution of the current tensions in the region. The statement recognises “the important role Article 9 of Japan’s Constitution has played as a foundation for peace and stability in Northeast Asia.” Read full statement here.

Japan's Decision on Collective Self-Defense in Context
This piece published in The Diplomat analyzes Abe's reinterpretation of Article 9 in the context of the U.S.-Japan security cooperation and Japan's rising nationalism. It further explores ways to diffuse regional tensions and highlights the crucial role Article 9 has played in building confidence in East Asia.

Study Group on the Right to Collective Self - Defense
Since May 2014, Japanese researchers, journalists, NGOs, publishers and academics have come together to provide informed analyses and commentaries on the many dimensions of the debate on Collective Self-Defense to parliamentarians, party officials and civil society representative.

Abeís Cabinet Guts Article 9 of its Principles
On July 1st, Prime Minister Abe and his administration forced through a Cabinet decision that changes the governmentís long-standing interpretation of war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution to loosen Japanís restraints on the use of force and allow the exercise of the right to collective self-defense. > See here for the English text of the decision.

Quakes in Japan's PacifismThis opinion piece, featured by Al Jazeera,critically discusses Prime Minister Abe’s latest moves to re-interpret Japan's peace constitution, the rising nationalism and militarism they reveal, and their repercussions for Japan and the region. It further discusses the challenges ahead for Japan’s peace movement to remain relevant.

Article 9 on Al Jazeera's The Stream
Yoshioka Tatsuya of the Global Article 9 Campaign appeared on Al Jazeera programme The Stream on Tuesday February 4, speaking on the current administration’s efforts to amend war-renouncing Article 9 of the constitution, Japan's rising militarism, and its implications on peace in Asia. Watch the show here.

Peace and Green Boat Takes Article 9 to East AsiaAmidst high Japan-Korea tensions, more than 1000 Japanese and Korean citizens set sail on the Peace & Green Boat Asia Regional Voyage 2013. The voyage will focus on Article 9 as a regional peace and security mechanism for East Asia, historical recognition issues and reconciliation, violence against women during conflict and the Japanese Military (Comfort Women), and the shift from nuclear to renewable, sustainable energy, and more.
Read the press release for more information about the itinerary and program here.

Article 9 World Conference 2013 in Osaka
The Article 9 World Conference 2013 in Osaka (October 13-14) was a great success! Around 500 people attended the conference at Kansai University on October 13, and more than 5000 gathered at the Osaka Municipal Gymnasium for workshops, performances, booths and the plenary session on October 14.
For detail information (schedule, program, guest profile, etc.) in English, visit the conference's website here.

Messages of Support for Article 9 from Around the WorldToday, Japan’s peace constitution is – probably more than ever – in danger!
Indeed, the election of key figure of Japan’s ideological conservative right Abe Shinzo as Japan's Prime Minister will bring- and already has brought - a strong impact on the debate over Article 9 and more generally on Japan's constitution, as well as for the general stance that Japan holds in the international area. > Read more about Japan's path to militarism
Japanese civil society is mobilizing and seeking global support to counter Abe’s policies that would have grave consequences for Japan, the regional context and the image of Japan has abroad. > Read statements of support in English [For the Japanese version, click here.]

Global Article 9 Campaign at the Nobel Women's Initiative's Fourth Biennial Conference
The conference, entitled Moving Beyond Militarism and War: Women-Driven Solutions for a Nonviolent World was held on May 28-31, 2013 in Belfast, Ireland, with the participation of all six Laureates of the NWI, as well as by over 80 influential activists, academics, and decision makers from across the globe whose work focuses on ending militarism and war with nonviolent strategies for peace.

Article 9 at the World Social Forum 2013
On March 27, 2013, the Global Article 9 Campaign held a session on Article 9 as part of the World Social Forum that will take place in Tunis on March 26-30, 2013. Entitled "Save Japan’s Peace Constitution! – Article 9, its global scope and its relevance for the Arab Spring and the Middle East", the event gave an insight on the challenges posed to Article 9 at the Japanese level and highlight the importance and relevance peace constitutions have as international peace mechanisms.

Letter to the Icelandic Constitutional Council: Include a Peace Clause
On July 19, 2011, Peace Boat, acting as the Secretariat of the Global Article 9 Campaign, submitted a letter to the Constitutional Council of Iceland. Recalling that "104 states across the five continents have incorporated the value of peace in their constitutions" and citing existing clauses that explicitly recognized peace as a fundamental rights of peoples and individuals, such as in the constitutions of Japan, Bolivia and Colombia," the letter invites the Constitutional Council to "seek inspiration in other countries' constitutions and to explicitly include a peace clause in the new Constitution of the Republic of Iceland."